Mack shook his head. “Just came to compete.” He watched Lacey closely. After their conversation about a week ago, he was curious how she’d react, and she didn’t disappoint.
Her eyes snapped to meet his. “You are?”
He nodded. “Someone told me I should go after my dreams.”
Angela sighed. “That’s so sweet.” She flicked him with her fingertips. “I didn’t know you wanted to compete in the rodeo.”
Mack shrugged out of her touch and grasped his hat from her head. “Didn’t I?”
She shook her head.
They all stood there, and he couldn’t help but feel the expectancy among them. Bridger saved them all when he pointed to the games across the way. “Mom! Can I play the duck game?”
All eyes turned toward a canopied area with a large trough filled with water. Hundreds of rubber ducks floated within it, just waiting to be lassoed by plastic rings. Lacey nodded. “Sure. Let’s go play.” She turned to him, but before she could tell him goodbye, he placed his hand on the small of her back.
“Let’s all go have some fun. I’m not competing yet.”
Lacey stepped out of his reach, taking a few quick steps, while Angela looped her arm through his again. Her voice was close to his ear when she murmured, “What will you be competing in?”
“Bronc riding,” he answered without a second thought, his eyes locked onto the back of Lacey’s head.
She whistled. “That’s dangerous, right?”
“It can be. You just need to know how to relax. Being tense when you’re thrown can cause more damage than you realize.”
“I can’t wait to see you,” she purred.
When they reached the ducks, Angela moved away from him to pay for some rings. Lacey got some for Bridger, and Mack did as well.
He hovered, watching as the girls did their best and won some candy with their attempts. Bridger didn’t win anything, but he’d happily played. When Mack tried his hand, he got four out of five ducks he’d aimed for.
The carnival operator flipped them over one-by-one. On the last one, he called out. “Grand prize!”
Bridger jumped up and down. “Mack! You won. You get to have a stuffy.” He pointed his small finger at a gorilla that was about as big as Bridger himself was.
“Here you go, kid.” Mack chuckled and handed the gorilla to Bridger. His laughter deepened when Bridger’s eyes grew three sizes, and he nearly toppled over.
“You’re giving it to me?” Bridger gasped.
“Mack, you don’t have to—” Lacey started.
Angela elbowed her in the ribs. “What’s a cowboy gonna do with a stuffed animal that big? Let him give it to Bridger. It’s so sweet!” She grinned at Mack. “You’re so good with kids.” She leaned closer to Lacey and whispered something, her eyes remaining on Mack. Lacey glanced toward him then quickly away.
He did his best to ignore their attention and ruffled the child’s hair. “How about we get a corndog. You like corndogs?”
Bridger nodded emphatically. “They’re my favorite.”
Without waiting for the women to agree, he guided Bridger toward the rows of food trucks.
Eventually, they were all seated at a wooden picnic table eating corndogs and French fries. Mack nodded to the gorilla. “What are you gonna name him?”
Bridger frowned, his concentration amusing. “I don’t know.”
“How about Gilbert? Gilbert Gorilla?”
Bridger grinned, nodding. “That’s a good one.”
“He’s gonna make such a good dad,” Angela murmured to Lacey, then she blushed when she noticed him paying attention. “Seriously, you’re so good with him,” she said, nodding to Bridger.
